Govt braces for timely disbursal of salaries

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 25

With the state being under complete clampdown, the Finance Department is bracing to ensure that the salary of over two lakh government employees is transferred to their bank accounts as always on the first day of the month.

With curfew being declared in Himachal till further orders, there is apprehension whether the salaries of the government employees will be transferred on time.

There are 1,81,231 regular government employees in Himachal besides the employees in the four universities which are autonomous and boards and corporations.

Three government universities — HP University (Shimla), Horticulture and Forestry University (Nauni, Solan) and Agriculture University (Palampur) — are autonomous bodies which directly disburse the salary of their regular employees.

The Himachal Government has 1.81 lakh regular employees, 7,253 daily wage workers and 3,334 part time employees. Out of a total budget of Rs 49, 131 crores, as much as 40 per cent is spent on footing the salary bills of over two lakh employees and pensions for retired employees

Principal Secretary (Finance) Prabodh Saxena, when connected, assured that there would be no problem in disbursement of salaries which is credited into the accounts of employees directly from the treasury.

“A core team, including me, has been keeping a close watch on all financial matters and there will be smooth transfer of salaries to employees,” he said.

VC of Agriculture University, Palampur Dr Ashok Kumar Sarial said there would be no problem in salary disbursement. With banks functioning normally, the employees can access their salaries through net banking. “We perceive no problem in receiving EMIs from employees who have taken loans as we only give loans when they open their salary account in our bank,” said a bank manager.